Recovery

Disclaimer: Kōhei Horikoshi is the owner and creator of the official characters and world of Boku no Hero Academia/My Hero Academia. All I own is this story idea, and any use of original characters.

Author's Note: So some people on AO3 wanted me to write up a follow-up chapter, so I did. I hope that I did my best at transcribing the emotions into this story. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not going to make it at life, especially since the passing of my mother back in October of 2020, and this will be the first holiday season with her now gone. But when I ever feel like life's not worth it, I just sit down and do some writing and just get it all out. It helps me.

If you are feeling suicidal or know someone who's contemplating suicide, there's the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Hot-line (1-800-273-8255). Even just talking to someone, whether it's a friend, a loved one, family, a teacher, your church pastor, whoever you feel comfortable with, let those words and feelings flow. You are not alone if you are feeling suicidal. Remember: you are worth living.


It's been a week since Izuku Midoriya's attempt to ending his life.

It's been a week since Ochako Uraraka saved his life.

It's been a week since Izuku Midoriya has not left Ochako Uraraka's side.

It's been a week since Ochako Uraraka refused to leave Izuku Midoriya alone.

Despite this horrific ordeal that had occurred, the two were much closer than ever. They call each other by their first names. They share meals together. They do their homework together. Ochako would always hold him in her arms and letting him rest safely in her embrace. Neito Monoma tried to harass Izuku one time, and the next day refused to come anywhere near the boy when Ochako fiercely defended Izuku from Neito's bullying words.

But sometimes, in the dead of night, some of the inhabitants of the 1-A Dormitory would wake up hearing Izuku's night terrors. But those night terrors would be quelled when the silence returned; and they knew Ochako would be calming him down when the boy would remember her words and dash to her room. Yes, it's improper for a boy to sleep in the girls' dorm area, however their teacher Shouta Aizawa would overlook it. One morning he caught Izuku sleeping peacefully in Ochako's bed, and didn't say a word about it. And if their teacher would allow this unorthodox coping method, then they as his students, Izuku and Ochako's classmates, would not complain.

If it helped Izuku get better sleep and stop having those night terrors.

Katsuki Bakugo had quite the mouth and little filter for his words. But even he knew that the last thing Izuku needed was his unfiltered mouth running at him. So at best he left the boy to Ochako's hands. He could see clearly (like everybody else) she had a thing for the green-haired teen. He would quietly wait until Izuku was firmly past these nightmares that's been affecting him, before he would start calling him a nerd again (in the politest possible way for him). Although that one day he got detention for straight up walking up then punching Neito Monoma in the face and knocking him the fuck out cold (and in Class B's homeroom for that matter) was worth it.

Two weeks later, Nezu had gathered the entire school and he and the school held a conference with the students talking about suicide. Nezu even brought in professionals who have helped troubled individuals across Japan coping with suicidal thoughts, and guests who have tried to commit suicide, but were saved by the kindness of either heroes, the police, or complete strangers. The stories were told by the survivors were heartening and also depressing, but they learned. They were being taught a lesson about how to spot someone who has suicidal thoughts or actions. The lesson was hard hitting for those in the school's Hero Course. But the one story that stuck with them, was told by an eleven year old boy who was quirkless and had been verbally abused by kids his own age and also suffered from mild autism. He had been bullied because of his mild autism and for also dreaming of being a hero, but everyone would tell him it was impossible because he didn't have a quirk and no one would want a hero who suffers from autism. It drove him to a point over all the teasing about his impossible dreams or his mental handicap that he wanted to end the pain and misery. But he was saved by a kind woman with green hair and green eyes.

This struck a chord inside Izuku when the boy revealed the name of his savior: Inko Midoriya.

The sobbing outburst from Izuku had caught everyone's attention.

"Mama… that's the name of my mama," Izuku would cry out, even as Ochako was holding onto him.

He walked up to the stage, aided by Ochako, until he was on his knees before the smaller boy.

"My mama… is Inko Midoriya. I'm her son," he would tell the child, tears cascading down his face.

"Your mom was a very sweet lady," the child tells Izuku.

Izuku looked like a mess with his crying.

"My name's Izuku Midoriya… and I'm just like you."

"You are?"

"I was bullied as a child. I was made fun of because I had dreams of being a hero but they didn't believe me. I was quirkless for eleven years and it had led to me being bullied for it. Though things for a time got better when my quirk emerged so late in life… as a hero in training, I started having nightmares again, only this time they were much worse. I've always been suicidal due to my past history with bullies hurting me, but three weeks ago I almost went over that edge to the abyss. But if my savior hadn't shown up, I wouldn't be here today."

"Who saved you?"

Ochako sat down on her knees next to Izuku and hugged the greenette.

"I did," she tells the child. "I saved him. He was in a lot of pain and it had hurt me so much seeing him suffering by himself. I chased after him and I grabbed hold of him. I told Izuku that I will never let him fall. I would catch him, I would hold onto him, and I would give him tender loving care, protect him from the bad dreams he has."

"Ochako is my savior, my hero," Izuku choked out through another sob. "And I'm still coping. But… I want you to know… that dreams are goals not yet achieved. You have to work hard, study hard. You said you want to become a hero, right?"

The child nodded, looking at Izuku intently.

Izuku smiles, eyes still slightly watery.

"I will support you. All you have to do is to hold out your hand to someone who is in trouble, and smile. Because heroes who smile the most are the strongest… just like my idol All Might."

Toshinori's heart leapt with emotion hearing his student's words.

"You mean it?" the child whispers, getting teary-eyed.

"Kid, even without a quirk, even if you're dealing with autism, you too can be a hero," Izuku declared.

The eleven year old boy started crying, and threw his arms around the older boy. Izuku firmly hugged back, also crying. You'd have to be heartless not to feel the emotions seen on the stage.

A month had passed since that conference, and Izuku had kept in contact with the child, named David. David had found a friend outside school who didn't care about him being quirkless or being mentally handicapped. The two kids have grown very close in friendship since. As for Izuku and Ochako, their closeness only grew further.

It was after a nice dinner everybody was minding their own business.

Ochako and Izuku were once again sitting close to each other while watching a movie that was airing free on TV.

"Izuku?"

"Hm? Yes, Ochako?"

"You know that kid David?"

Izuku smiled. "Yeah. What about him?"

"We got a letter from him. Here. I already read it."

Izuku took the letter and read through it. Yes, even in today's world, sometimes snail mail still has its charms. It just has more personal touch to it, especially when it's a pen pal you've formed a friendship with.

"Really? The girl, Remilia, became his girlfriend."

Ochako giggled.

"Yeah. Love's crazy, huh?"

Izuku laughed.

"Yeah… what the heck does that say for us? We're in our teens and yet David's not even twelve years old and he's already got a girlfriend."

Ochako blushed.

Izuku smiled, folding the letter and setting it on the coffee table nearby.

"Hey, Izuku?"

"Yes, Ochako?"

Ochako smiles loving to Izuku, before she leans in and she claimed his lips with hers.

Izuku felt a jolt through his body and in his heart. Slowly, he slid his hands over her hips and held onto the girl, as Ochako shifted her body and was now lying against him. She gripped his shoulders, pinkie fingers raised. The kiss eventually broke, a trail of saliva bridging their lower lips. They gazed into each other's eyes.

They were getting glances at by the rest of their classmates, but neither teen noticed nor cared. At this moment, the world only centered on them.

"I've always wanted to kiss you for some time now, Izuku," she whispers to him. "I… I can't deny myself anymore. I've fallen in love with you, Izuku Midoriya."

"You… you love me?"

"Yes. I love you. Ever since we met, we've been through a lot of crazy things together. And I admire your strength, I admire your heart, your passion, your courage. So that day when I saw you high up on the ledge, it frightened me. At first I wanted to focus on being a hero and pushed down the feelings I had for you, but that morning, I felt pure terror. I thought I was going to lose you. So… I no longer want to hide them. You almost died once by Chisaki. You almost died a second time when these nightmares pushed you to the edge."

She has tears running down her face.

"And I just can't fathom a world without you in it."

"Ochako…" He sniffled. "You are the absolute sweetest girl I have ever met in my entire life. You were the first girl ever aside from mom who didn't look upon me like I was trash. You were the first person outside home who spoke to me nice, who didn't ridicule me, who didn't laugh at me and jeer at my misfortune. We became amazing wonderful friends, starting from when I saved you from the giant robot in the entrance exams."

He wiped away her tears, then his own.

"We've trained together. We've fought together. You have such an amazing personality. A beautiful smile, Beautiful eyes. I love those pink blush stickers on your cheeks."

Ochako's face took on a red hue. Izuku's face also was under a red glow.

"You have become just as strong as I have. You have the heart and the drive to fulfill your dreams. You give ME the strength to function in life, to wake up every morning knowing that my day will be fine as long as I get to see you smile, to hear your voice. You changed the meaning of Deku, giving me the courage to take it as my Hero name, to say with no fear that Deku is the name of a hero."

He was smiling brightly to her.

"I love you, Ochako Uraraka. And I am very happy that we got to meet in life. I'll gladly spend the rest of my life with you, and have you and you alone inside of my heart, my soul."

"Oh, Izuku…"

They kissed blissfully.

"Thank you, Ochako… for being MY savior…"

"Thank you, Izuku… for being the warmth and light in my life…"

They kissed once more.

"I love you, Ochako Uraraka."

One more kiss.

"I love you too, Izuku Midoriya."

And a final romantic kiss brings two souls that much closer.

"So romantic!" Mina cried out, sobbing happy tears with Toru and Momo.

"This is better than my romance novels I read," Momo cried out.

Shoto, Tenya, and Fumikage are smiling, the three boys each have a tear drop of joy dripping down and are giving a thumbs-up to Izuku.

"Kero. I'm happy for you both," said Tsuyu, wiping away her tears of joy.

Katsuki just grunted, turning his back to the others so they didn't see the slight smirk that crossed his lips. His friend Eijiro saw it, however, and was grinning himself.

"Too much blinding fluff," says Minoru, wearing sunglasses and somehow looking cool doing so.

"I dare say, they're twinkling brighter than moi," says Yuuga with a dazzling smile.

Izuku and Ochako were blushing, but they smiled at each other before looking to their classmates.

"We're dating, and we don't care what people think," they boldly and proudly declare.

They smiled to each other.

They had each other. They were now each other's support.

They felt lucky to have met in this lifetime.


So, the eleven year old boy represents me in the story. Didn't even plan that part but by the time I finished… I just left it alone.

So to explain: I have mild autism. Had it my whole life. It made things a bit difficult for me growing up, and learning and being taught was a chore. Back in the late 80s and the early 90s (yeah, born in 1987, dood) some teachers just had little patience for me and would give up on me. There was not a lot of special help for children with autism back then, not unlike today where there's hundreds if not thousands of different programs to help children and even adults with autism. I even got picked on by other kids because they believed I was plain stupid, and it hurt a lot.

Thankfully, I had a childhood friend named Susie who stuck by my side, who protected me. I had one day ran away from home after a bad day of relentless teasing from my classmates back in the first grade. But Susie had chased after me and she rescued me. I would never forget her selflessness and her pure acts of kindness and the deep friendship we had. Today she's since had moved away and we had unfortunately fallen out of communication five years after our high school days… and I'm trying to find her again and reconnect with her. But in my adult life I got other adult friends.

Yeah, I got problems, just like everybody else. But I know where to go to for help. And by writing this, it's gotten some rather tense emotions out of myself and I feel so much better having done this piece.

Thanks for reading this, everyone.